Thursday, April 25, 2013

You inhabit the land of grief. You can’t run away from it,
back away from it, ignore it. You can’t shroud it in euphemisms – “pass away” –
when someone has died. They’ve died. They’re gone. Trying to make it sound easier,
softer, gentler, does nothing. In fact, whenever I hear that phrase my body
stiffens and I want to scream.

My mother did not pass away. My infant son did not pass
away. They did not “pass.” They died. Call it what it is. Run into it and face
it down. It’s the only way to work through it.

Rapp is sad. She is angry. She is full of questions, both
spiritual and grounded. She uses words to process and delve and deny and
question. She paints descriptions of her son’s first and only full year of life
– of his body, of his eyes, of her pain and her husband’s pain watching him
regress.

She wonders about the hierarchy of grief. Who is more
entitled to be sad? Who has experienced more pain? Those of us who have
wandered in these hills understand these questions. My second son died when he
was five days old, after a troubled pregnancy and five days of hope and wonder.
I grieve his loss, and will to the end of my days.

Monday, April 22, 2013

With Earth Day here, and summertime following after that, more attention will be paid to the problem of climate change. But even for adults, it can be a confusing topic. Too many Americans still don't believe it exists, and even among those who do, there's a tendency to think that a period of colder-than-usual weather means that the effects of climate change are exaggerated.

As someone who has written a critically acclaimed book for students aged 9 and older, and who has given lectures at schools around the country, I'd like to offer a few helpful areas to emphasize, based on the questions that I most often get asked.

Climate change is real, and people are causing it. There is no debate about this among international scientists. If you or anyone you know doubts this, please look at Grist.org's handy guide. But if your children are confused, you can simply tell them that science is not just like math; it doesn't always produces a single, universally agreed-on answer.

Global warming is a part – arguably the major part – of climate change. Global warming refers to the increase in the average temperature of the earth over several years or decades. Climate change refers to global warming as well as other changes in climate, like more common and intense extreme weather, and a rise in sea levels.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Oh god, it’s happened again. A terrible news story, a la
9-11, a la Newtown, that marks the end of what started as a normal Monday.

This time in Boston. Two bombs. Three people dead. Two more
undetonated bombs destroyed. At least a hundred people injured. Scores more
probably to come. And a nation finding itself, once more, grieving.

This is a different world than the one I grew up in. Back
then, the violence and carnage was always far away, overseas (except, of
course, for the civil rights movement, and the ugly and ferocious backlash
against those who were fighting for their rights on our own soil.)

We thought that by living on a continent buttressed by two
oceans and two friendly neighbors we would be protected forever. We thought
that the stirring words of our forefathers – enshrined in the Declaration of
Independence and the U.S. Constitution – proclaiming ours a shining democracy,
one in which all would be equal under the law, would shield us from the horror
of chaotic, despotic governments, of the hate and ignominy of the world outside
our borders.

We were wrong.

For over a decade, we have lived with the
now-deeply-embedded muscle memory of fear. Fear that there are forces out there
that hate us, that are beyond our scope of protection. Fear that we will
perhaps someday be the target of something so huge, so protracted, that
Armageddon will ensue.

So we keep emergency evacuation kits near our front doors.
We know the best routes out of our towns. We have plans solidified as to where
to meet our family members if an attack shuts down the normal workings of our
city.

Monday, April 15, 2013

It's time to blog a main course and I've always wanted to capture a good French onion soup. I made this today and the house smells delicious. It's basic, easy and a hit with almost everyone loves it. This recipe is from simplyrecipes.com, though I've modified it a bit.

French Onion Soup

6 large red or yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced.

Olive oil

1/4 teaspoon of sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups of beef, chicken or vegetable stock or a combination of the two (traditionally the soup is made with beef stock. I used Pacific organic low sodium vegetable broth)

1 In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in the olive oil on medium high heat until well browned, but not burned, about 30-40 minutes (or longer). Add the sugar about 10 minutes into the process to help with the carmelization.

2 Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the stock, vermouth or wine, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf. If you like, use a hand held soup blender to puree the onions and make the soup smoother.

3 To serve you can either use individual oven-proof soup bowls or one large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned. Serve immediately.